012. Slow Travel: I’m back in Playa del Carmen

Episode 012 - Slow Travel: I’m back in Playa del Carmen 

For nearly 35 years of traveling worldwide, I refused to visit our neighbors to the South. Why? Because I’m a foodie and the Mexican food that I had experienced living in and around the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) just did not ignite my pilot. No, I didn’t base my tastes on Taco Bell or Carlos O’Kelly’s – ugh! They both made me sick to my stomach – but there just wasn’t any Mexican restaurants around that made me want to get in my car, let alone get on an airplane for a week’s stay only to be miserable.

 I mean, I love Guacamole and Tacos but I just can’t narrow down the entirety of the Mexican cuisine to a Taco, can I? No. There's also Quesadillas, Street Corn, Mole Sauce, Nachos, Burritos, Enchiladas, Huevos Rancheros, Pipian Stew, Tamales, and Gorditas de Nata (cream inside a pancake)… and so much more!

 Well, my indifference to visiting Mexico changed when I started a consulting assignment in Arizona in 2014. I begged my new coworkers – especially since they had bragged about it – to take me to a real good, authentic Mexican restaurant. Thankfully, there were a number of excellent spots that they showed me in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and I frequented them regularly. When I consulted in Dallas Texas in 2015, I asked my coworkers for same – insisting that I did not want Tex-Mex just Mexican. They came through for me there as well.

 And the rest, as they say, is history!

 I was unstoppable. From 2016 to 2019, I had visited Mexico (both the Caribbean side and the Pacific side) four times. Cabo, Cancun twice, and Playa del Carmen – for at least one week, each visit. Plus a week-long Mexican Riviera cruise. Unfortunately, the food on that Carnival cruise was less than satisfactory but I made up for it in the ports of Cabo and Puerto Vallarta and on the shore excursions. Only one visit to Cancun was at an all-inclusive resort because I truly believe that you can’t get a feel for a country while being insulated in a cocoon-like environment where every meal is catered to the American and European tourists’ tastes. All my other visits during that period were at standard resorts, with restaurants, but I felt no obligation to pay for standard fare. I wanted local flavors, I wanted the local experiences, I wanted the good and the bad of going off-the-beaten-paths to try to find that hidden gem. And rarely did I find a bad or sub-par culinary experience.

 Mexico quickly became a favorite! And I spent nearly the entire month of July 2019 in Playa del Carmen as part of my retired nomad life. And loved every bit of it. I had an Airbnb apartment so I went grocery shopping even though I lived half-a-block from the famous Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue) which is basically a 30-block long street of restaurants, bars and shops for the tourists. It can get expensive eating in restaurants all the time, even in Mexico. And the tourists spots are priced for the tourists, not the locals, and aren’t necessarily good eats. However, there were some nice surprises on 5th Avenue but mostly just a block or two off from the main street.

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experienced living in and aroundthe DMV, which is DC, Maryland,
and Virginia just did not ignitemy pilot.

(01:47):
No, I didn't base my tastes ontaco bell or Carlos Kelleys.
Both of those made me sick to mystomach.
But there just wasn't anyMexican restaurants around that
made me want to get in my car,let alone get on an airplane for
a week.
Stay only to be miserable.

(02:09):
I mean, I love guacamole andtacos, but I just can't narrow
down the entirety of the Mexicancuisine to a taco.
Can I?
No.
Also case a D is street, corn,moley sauce, nachos burritos,
enchiladas, whoever rancherospipiens Stu tamales and

(02:34):
gorditas, the NATA, which is,um, some kind of cream in the
pancake.
Mm.
And so much more.
Well, my indifference tovisiting Mexico changed when I
started a consulting assignmentin Arizona in 2014.
I begged my new coworkers,especially since they bragged

(02:54):
about it, to take me to a realgood, authentic Mexican
restaurant.
Thankfully there were a numberof excellent spots that they
showed me in and around thePhoenix Scottsdale area.
And I frequented them regularly.
When I consulted in Dallas,Texas in 2015, I asked my

(03:18):
coworkers for this.
Insisting that I did not wanttext max, just Mexican.
They came through for me thereas well.
And the rest they say ishistory.
I was unstoppable from 2016 to2019.

(03:39):
I had visited Mexico, both theCaribbean side and the Pacific
side four times Cabo.
Okay.
And Coon twice and Playa DelCarmen for at least one week
each visit plus a week longMexican Riviera cruise.
Unfortunately, the food on thatcarnival cruise was less than

(04:04):
satisfactory, but I made up forit in the ports of Cabo and
Puerto Vallarta.
And on the shore excursions onlyone visit to canned Kuhn was at
an all-inclusive.
Because I truly believe that youcan't get a feel for a country
while being insulated in acocoon like environment where

(04:27):
every meal is catered to theAmerican and European tourists
tastes all my other visitsduring that time period were at
standard resorts withrestaurants, but I felt no
obligation to pay for standardfare.
I want it local flavor.
I wanted the local experience.
I wanted the good and the bad ofgoing off the beaten paths to

(04:51):
try and find that hidden gym andrarely did I find a bad or
subpar culinary experience.
Mexico quickly became myfavorite and I spent nearly the
entire month of July, 2019 inPlaya Del Carmen as part of my

(05:12):
retired nomad life.
And loved every bit of it.
I had an Airbnb apartment, so Iwent grocery shopping, even
though I lived half a block fromthe famous Keita avenue,
cheetah, which is for fab canoe,which is basically a 30 block
long street of restaurants,bars, and shops for the

(05:33):
tourists.
It can get expensive eating atrestaurants all the time, even
in Mexico.
And the tourist spots are pricedfor tourists, not the lowest.
And aren't necessarily goodeats.
However, there were some nicesurprises on fifth avenue, but
mostly just a block or two offfrom the main street.

(05:57):
At the same time for my travelagency, I was doing site
inspections on some of the bestall-inclusive resorts from
Cancun to the Riviera Maya andenjoying meals and snacks as I
toward the river.
Fast-forward to the pandemic of2020.
And I was locked down inCharlotte, North Carolina, where

(06:20):
my good friend and travel buddyYolanda, let me stay in her
spare bedroom.
Sadly, I needed both a newdriver's license.
It expired in 2020 and a newpassport.
I had no more blank pages, but Ihad to wait until the offices
reopened late summer.
First, the driver's side.

(06:40):
There was a two month backlog,of course, but I got a new one
on my birthday, September 8th,2020, then the passport took 11
weeks for processing.
But as soon as I saw online thatmy new passport was in the mail,
I booked the first thing leavingfor Marietta, Mexico.

(07:03):
Why did I choose Marian?
Well, when I was visiting ChiangMai Thailand over Thanksgiving
in 2018, I met a cool coupleoriginally from the USA who
lived half a year in Mariettaand the other half and Chang
mine.
I listened closely to theirquest for decent and affordable
housing with only their socialsecurity checks to survive on

(07:27):
and their trials andtribulations, trying to find
that elusive house.
Yes, living in the USA in yourretirement years can break you
financially, but alsopsychologically.
And for many it's best to havean exit plan or work until
you're in your grave.

(07:49):
Marietta had always existed inthe back of my mind as a long
time ex-pat Haven, but thiscouple brought it up front.
So back to the store.
Exactly one week beforeChristmas, 2020, I arrived at my
rented house where I would staythrough mid April, 2021 and

(08:11):
return again to it from earlyJune through mid September,
2021, Marietta has a vibrantblack expat community, but since
it was in the midst of thepandemic and the second or third
wave, all meet-ups andgatherings had been home.
There are several private groupson Facebook where you can find

(08:33):
the latest happenings in anycity or country and more
important things like gettinginsurance, recommended health
care options, restaurants, andshops, house cleaners, delivery
services, COVID-19 testing, etcetera, et cetera.
So if you want to live inanother part of the world, I
suggest you look on Facebookfirst and joining a private

(08:55):
community.
Knock on that door and get into.
Anyway.
I was fortunate that a friendRashida, who I met at a travel
blogging conference and wholives in Mexico city and runs
her own career break coachingcompany introduced me to her
friend, Tony, who had just movedto Marietta a few months before

(09:18):
I did.
Tony is a retired mom of threegrown men who decided to retire
to Mexican.
She is now both a vocal coachand an ex-pat relocation coach.
Plus she has a very cool podcastcalled.
She said yes to loving herself,Tony and I met the following

(09:42):
month, which was January, 2021in downtown Marietta to walk
around, have lunch and get toknow one another, since we had
so much in class.
It was an instant connection andwe stayed in touch throughout
the lockdown via WhatsApp.
Now I love the steamy weatherand Meredith and my neighbors

(10:04):
were pleasant enough, not manyspoke English, but all war mass
and waived whenever I'veventured out into the
neighborhood or went to thestores.
However I missed the water.
Marietta is inland and about a30 minute Uber ride.
To the beach.
I felt I could handle just beingin the heat, but I miss being

(10:28):
near the water more than Ithought I would.
By late spring, Tony told methat she had made the decision
to move to Playa Del Carmen.
And I told her that I had justdecided myself that I would move
to Playa Del Carmen and the.
A coincidence, a God wink,kismet alignment of the cosmos

(10:48):
or whatever you want to call it.
It's funny how things work out.
And even those, a black ex-patcommunity in Playa Del Carmen
seemed friendly and thrivingonline.
I would have a friend whoalready lived there.
Not that I truly worried aboutthat since I had lived there for
nearly a month back in July,2019.

(11:09):
Without knowing anyone, but it'salways good to have a friend
nearby fast forward to November1st, 2021.
Now I'm back in Playa DelCarmen.
I had made arrangements with arealtor recommended by Tony to
see some apartments that wereavailable to rent for six months

(11:29):
to a year note while Airbnb iswonderful.
Long-term stays are lessexpensive.
If done through a real.
Anyway, I at least a niceapartment that is a 10 minute
stroll to the beach in myretirement.
I don't walk fast.
I stroll and I'm not in a hurryto go anywhere.

(11:52):
So I'm in under 10 minute strollto the beach.
I can also go up on the rooftopof my apartment, the field of
sun on my skin, see the sea andcatch the sea breeze.
A local grocery store is withina mile from my apartment and

(12:12):
walkable, as long as it's not sohot.
A lot of the bigger name,grocery stores and shops are a
20 minute bus ride away.
The collect TiVo vans and theregular bus or 10 pesos, 50
cents and run very frequently.
So you'll never be strandedunless you're out after 10:00

(12:32):
PM.
But then you can just take ataxi for not much more than the
bus.
All in all living in Playa DelCarmen, Mexico is lovely and
inexpensive.
If you don't eat out that much,I've met some amazing black
women.
Since I came here a month ago,young and old, and almost all of

(12:53):
them are entrepreneurs and orretired.
There are weekly dinners andmany other activities going on
throughout each.
There is a sense of community.
Here.
There is comradery.
Here.
There is kinship here.
It's all good here.
You can't call yourself a queenif you've never ruled.

(13:15):
And that means taking a chanceand rolling the dice on life.
Getting on stuck.
There's a meme going around onthe internet about a bottle of
water, costing 50 cents at aSuperman.
And how much more, that samebottle of water costs at
different places like theairport, a restaurant or a

(13:36):
resort.
Basically, it's an analogy tosay, if you're feeling belittled
and worthless, then find thecourage to make a move to
somewhere with your samepackaging that you'll be loved,
valued, and appreciated.
Don't settle for less.
Be that queen that demands.